As the digital age explodes, so have the stakes for protecting our online data.
With cyberattacks and security breaches exposing 4.1 billion data records in the first half of 2019 alone, the demand from businesses and consumers for a secure way of storing and managing data has reached its boiling point.
That’s where cloud computing comes in.
There has been a significant evolution in the way that we save, store and access data. You no longer need to store documents on one particular device. You can access files from anywhere with a solid Internet service connection, at any time. That’s all because of cloud computing.
The advanced security benefits of cloud computing systems have not gone unnoticed. Governments have also started rolling out cloud technologies across various organisations globally, to help them to manage and store their confidential information.
We figure that if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us.
How Does Cloud Computing Work?
We’re glad you asked. Cloud computing is an application-based software that securely stores data on remote servers, which can be accessed through the internet. It works by enabling users to upload and download data onto any chosen device, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
The easiest way to think of how cloud computing operates is to imagine it divided into two main parts; the backend and the frontend.
The frontend enables a user to access data stored in the cloud using an internet browser or a cloud computing software. The backend comprises servers, computers, databases, and central servers. A central server administers the system following a set of protocols and using a unique piece of software called middleware.
Cloud computing serves as an umbrella term for different types of cloud services. These services include:
- Cloud Storage — designed to store and back-up your files for regular access. Files can also be shared and synced across devices.
- Cloud Hosting — this facilitates multiple types of information sharing, such as email services, application hosting and data storage.
- Cloud Backup — this software is designed to serve as a failsafe solution if your company experiences a server crash, cyberattack or other data loss.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) — SaaS solutions use the web to provide a service, for example, Google Apps, Office 365 and eFax.
Cloud computing was conceptualised during a time when the risk of cybersecurity threats was at the forefront of the minds of developers and businesses alike. This means at the root of all cloud technology is a structure designed to protect against security problems.
Cloud-based services are by no means the newest solution to confronting the issue of data protection, but their rise to prominence only happened in the late 1990s, making it far newer than systems like email and fax.
Yes, that’s right — email and traditional faxing methods are not secure methods for sharing information. Using generic email services and old-fashioned fax systems mean that at this current moment, your business is highly vulnerable to operating inefficiencies and cybercrime. But how vulnerable?
Cyberattacks: What Are the Threats to Your Business?
Cybersecurity threats remain a risk for businesses in 2020 and far beyond.
With the illegal exchange of data rapidly becoming a form of digitised currency, there is a lot of money to be made from the breaches and theft of online information.
These violations might be through malware threats, phishing attacks, ransomware attack, or other kinds of cybercrime.
The impact for companies that suffer such attacks can be detrimental. They can be subject to sensitive data losses and leaks, risk receiving harsh data penalties for data compliance mistakes — not to mention have their reputation irreparably damaged by losing the trust and integrity they have built with their customers.
Small businesses are not exempt from these risks either. In the UK, small companies alone are collectively subject to almost 10,000 cyberattacks per day.
A lot of these attacks target out-of-date internal storage solutions built before digitalisation fully took effect. These old systems were not fundamentally designed to face the challenges of modern data security, as — at the time of their inception — the cybersecurity threats just didn’t exist.
But that isn’t the case for cloud technology.
No obligation. No set-up fees. No risk.
Defend Your Data: Protect Your Business with Cloud Computing
Back when the word “cloud” was still considered to be a buzzword, there was a tangible paranoia about storing data offsite. However, the security benefits of cloud computing continue to prove that it is a highly-effective tool in the battle to protect data.
It does this through a combination of advanced cybersecurity features combined with physical infrastructure to create a comprehensive, secure solution to your data management needs.
Cloud services allow companies to store their data on external servers, managed by other firms with expertise in cybersecurity. These remote servers offer protection by being separate from your security network, which means even if a cybersecurity attack compromises your business, the cloud facility remains safe and separate.
Because the cloud services offered by third-party firms are their central model of business, these firms have the resources to invest a lot of time and energy into making sure they can offer their clients state-of-the-art security when it comes to managing their data. Providing this level of secure technology is unlikely to be something that most companies can afford to do internally.
The impact of COVID-19 accelerating the rise of homeworking has created a global need for employees to access the same files and be able to share them with colleagues in different locations.
Unless handled securely, these practices can lead to massive data leaks and network-wide malware infestations. Cloud services encrypt all data and provide employees and employers with sophisticated tools for easy and secure sharing.
Cloud Computing in Action
It’s time for businesses to remove their heads from the clouds and put their data up there instead.
Fax is an example of a business process that has been revolutionised by the integration of cloud-based technology.
eFax is a cloud-hosted online fax software that uses cloud technology to transmit digital files between businesses. eFax digital systems include advanced encryption, adaptable access controls, 24/7 security monitoring, regular service updates to ensure your documents are protected and many more tools designed to safeguard the security of your business.
Using Transport Layer Security (TLS) and state-of-the-art data centres, eFax ensures every fax sent and received has the highest level of protection and is a strong supporter of cloud technology improving cybersecurity for their business customers.
Now is the time to utilise the security benefits of cloud computing and act to protect your company against the most dangerous threats.
Be part of the cloud computing revolution and protect your business by switching to eFax today. Get instant access to all our fax technology by signing up to our cloud fax service and starting your free trial.